Flexible disposable nursing bottle



Dec. 21, 1954 R. c. HOOD FLEXIBLE DISPOSABLE NURSING BOTTLE Filed June8, 1951 BY I / ATTORNEYS United States Patent O FLEXIBLE DISPOSABLENURSING BOTTLE Robert C. Hood, Arlington, Va.

Application .lune 8, 1951, Serial No. 230,540

6 Claims. (Cl. 21S-11) This invention relates to the art of specialpackages, and particularly to a flexible collapsible single use nursingbottle.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a nursing bottle ofthe type described, which in its package form is substantially flat,with a nipple portion tucked in at one end in invaginated form, and afunnel within the other end having an inwardly open check valve, thebottle containing the solids constituent for the feeding, the ends ofthe bottle being closed by removable sealing strips. In preparing thebottle for use, it is held inverted following removal of the sealingstrips. The liquid constituent in the desired quantity and propertemperature is poured into the funnel, enters the bottle through thecheck valve, distends the bottle, and contacts the food solids. Theweight of the milk evaginates the nipple when the bottle is shaken tomix the ingredients, causing the nipple to protrude normally, and alsopresses the check valve closed, preventing leakage. The bottle is nowready for the baby.

Another object of the invention is to provide the bottle in tlat sealedform as described, in plurality in stacked arrangement in packages to bevended by drug stores, for example, for household use, and particularlyconvenient and advantageous for those on tour with a baby, who may keepa package of the bottles in the automobile and prepare the feedings atany place and time, with the minimum of trouble and health risk to thechild, discarding the bottle after use.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the following descriptionof a preferred and practical embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the drawings which accompany and form a part of the followingspecification, and throughout the several figures of which the samereference numerals have been employed to designate identical parts:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a nursing bottle embodying theprinciples of the invention, in at sealed condition;

Figure 2 in full lines is a longitudinal section taken along the line2--2 of Figure 1. The broken lines indicate the shape when distendedwith liquid and in nursing condition;

Figure 3 is a cross-section taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a medial longitudinal section through the nipple distended,the adjacent body portion of the bottle being shown;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the bottle with the nipple extended, the rearportion of the bottle being broken away to reveal the funnel;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the lower portion of the bottle, thelatter being held inverted, illustrating the method of introducing theliquid.

Referring now in detail to the several figures, the bottle which as awhole is designated by the numeral 1, is preferably made from aninexpensive exible waterproof heat sealable plastic, in sheet form, suchas polyethylene lm or rubber hydrochloride. As shown in Figure 5, itcomprises a tubular body 2, having a projecting convex prolongation 3 atone end defining a nipple, preferably approximating in shape the humanbreast. It is open at the opposite end 4, having an inserted funnel 5 inthis end, the peripheral edges of the funnel be ing adhesively united asby heat sealing to the contiguous edges of the tubular body. The funnelis inherently at, extends some distance into the tubular body,

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its inner end 6 being structurally free from the body, and having a slot7 preferably at an intermediate point in its inner end. The sides of thefunnel tend inherently to lie close together, normally closing the slot.When liquid is poured into the funnel its Weight distends and opens theslot, permitting the liquid to ow into the bottle. The weight of theliquid within the bottle presses against one or the other of the sidesof the funnel and holds the slot closed, preventing leakage back intothe funnel. Thus, the slot functions as a check valve.

The tubular body, including the nipple prolongation, is preferablyformed of a pair of congruent sheets 8 and 9 of the plastic material,heat sealed together along the side edge margins 10 and 11 and along theperipheral margin 12 of the nipple portion. When the nipple isevaginated the sealed seam which incorporates the margin 12 is on theinside of the nipple, giving the opposite sides of the latter theinherent tendency to stay apart so that the liquid contents of thebottle will intervene between said sides when the baby sucks, avoidingthe collapse of the nipple by suction, which would block the low throughthe nipple. The nipple is provided with the perforations 13. In thefinished bottle the side margins 10 and 11 of the body preferably extendoutward@ ly, inturned, promoting normal atness of the tubular body.Prior to the heat sealing of the sides of the bodyr the funnel 5 isinserted. The funnel in the form shown consists of two congruent sheets14 and 15 of the same width as the body, so that when they arepositioned, their side edges will coincide with the side edges of thesheets 8 and 9 and lie between them. The inner end of the funnel isclosed by heat sealing the intermediate portions of the inner edges ofthe sheets 14 and 15, as indicated at 16 and 17 in Figure 5, leaving themiddle portion unsealed to constitute the slot 7. In this stage the twosheets constituting the funnel are positioned between the sheets 8 and9. The side margins 10 and 11- of the body, together with the sidemargins of the funnel sheets 14 and 15 are heat sealed into a singleclosed seam. At this time the peripheral outer end margins of the funneland the contiguous outer end margins of the tubular body are heat sealedtogether, a sheet of paper or similar material being temporarilyinserted in the mouth of the funnel to prevent the mouth of the funnelbeing sealed.

In manufacturing the bottle, the sides of the body sheets 8 and 9 whichwill eventually be on the inside, are placed outermost, and the margin12 of the nipple is heat sealed. 'Ihen the body sheets 8 and 9 arefolded back over the nipple so that the nipple is on the inside of thetubular body, with its sealed margins lying flat. The rest of thesealing operation then follows as described. When the nipple isevaginated, its sealed margin will be on the inside of the nipple. Afterthe bottle has been completed, the solids constituent ofthe feeding,including the milk solids, constituted according to approved physiciansformula, is injected through the slot. The bottle with the nipple ininvaginated position is then sealed by means of removable sealing strips16 and 17' folded over the opposite ends of the bottle and adhesivelyapplied. Preferably the sealing strips may have small projecting tabportions 18 to facilitate their removal.

After the application of the sealing strips the bottle and its solidscontents is subjected to sterilizing temperature for a sufficient timeto render sterile the entire in# side portion enclosed by the sealingstrips.

In its finished form the bottle may be stacked in any convenientplurality, and packaged for sale.

In using the bottle, the sealing strips are first removed, then thebottle is held in inverted position, as shown in Figure 6, while wateror other liquid at proper feeding temperature is poured into the funnel,and discharges through the slot 7 into the bottle. The bottle is, ofcourse, distended by the liquid introduced. It may be shaken tothoroughly mix the liquid with the solids constituent. The shakingcauses the weight of the liquid to push out the nipple. The bottle isthen ready for the infant. The liquid contents will not leak backthrough the funnel, since the normal tendency of the funnel is tomaintain the slot 7 closed, and the weight of the liquid pressing uponone or the other sides of the free inner end of the funnel positivelyholds the sides of the slot closed. After the baby has finished feeding,the bottle is discarded.

While I have in the above description disclosed what l believe to be apractical embodiment of the invention, it will be understood by thoseskilled in the art that the specic details of construction andarrangement of parts, as described, are by way of example. and not to beconstrued as limiting the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. Flexible collapsible single use nursing bottle comprising a normallyat tubular body portion of flexible, waterproof material havinginvaginated portions at its opposite ends, one being permanentlyinvaginated and constituting a lling funnel havingy a wide opening atits outer end and formed as an inwardly opening cheek valve at a pointremote from said outer end, the other being nipple shaped and beingadapted to evaginate responsive to pressure of liquid introducedinto'said body portion by way of said funnel.

2. Flexible collapsible single use nursing bottle as claimed in claim 1,said bottle being rectangular in shape wlhen said nipple shaped portionis in its invaginated p ase.

3. Flexible collapsible single use nursing bottle as f.

claimed in claim 1, said bottle being rectangular in shape when saidnipple shaped portion is in its invaginated phase, and sealing stripshermetically sealing the outer ends of said invaginated portions.

4. Flexible collapsible single use nursing bottle comprising a normallyflat tubular body portion of exible, waterproof material havinginvaginated portions at its opposite ends, one being permanentlyinvaginated and constituting a funnel having a wide opening at its outerend and formed as an inwardly opening check valve at fa point remotefrom said outer end, the other being nipple shaped and adapted toevaginate responsive to pressure of liquid introduced into said bodyportion by way of said funnel, the inner ends of said invaginatedportions being spaced apart within said body portion, defining with theencompassing walls of said body portion, a chamber for containing theformula solids of a feeding.

5. Flexible collapsible single use nursing bottle comprising a normallyflat tubular body portion of flexible, waterproof material havinginvaginated portions at its opposite ends, one being permanentlyevaginated and constituting a normally collapsed funnel having oppositeat side walls normally in surface interengagement,

said funnel having a wide opening at its outer end and a dischargeopening at a point remote from said outer end positioned inwardly withrespect to the area of interengagement of said walls to be valvecontrolled thereby, the other portion being nipple shaped and adapted toevaginate responsive to pressure of liquid introduced into said bodyportion by way of said funnel.

6. Flexible collapsible single use nursing bottle cornprising a normallyat tubular body portion of exible, waterproof material havinginvaginated portions at its opposite ends, one being permanentlyinvaginated and constituting a normally collapsed funnel having oppositeflat side walls normally in surface interengagement, said funnel havinga wide opening at its outer end and a discharge opening at a pointremote from said outer end positioned inwardly with respect to the areaof interengagement of said walls, to be valve controlled thereby, theother portion being nipple shaped and adapted to evaginate responsive topressure of liquid introduced into said body portion by way of saidfunnel, said nipple shaped portion having opposite flat side wallsunited in a marginal seam inturned when said nipple shaped portion is inits evaginated phase, thereby tending to keep said at side walls apart.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHERREFERENCES Journal of the American Medical Association, March 19, 1949,page 31, article entitled The nearest approach to breast feeding.

Food, September 1950, pages 329-332, inclusive, article entitledCollapsible tubes as food packs.

